Fresh To Order

Fresh To Order is the newest addition to Waterford Lakes Town Center and they are serving up some pretty darn good food at affordable prices. I recently got the chance to sit down with Giriam Patel, who is Fresh To Order's newest franchisee.

Of course we discussed many things, but the topic of the day was great food at great prices. Giriam is a longtime restaurateur and a former Golden Corral franchise owner. The Waterford Lakes location is the first one in Florida, and Giriam is so excited at the potential this brand has, that he has signed on to open seven more Fresh To Order restaurants in Orlando.

Founded in Atlanta in 2006, Fresh To Order or (f2o), as they like to say, is credited with being the pioneer of the "fast-fine" restaurant segment. The fast-fine food idea is a current trend that aims to combine the quality of food found in casual fine dining with the operating platform and price point of fast casual establishments like Chipotle.

Fresh To Order serves a menu of freshly prepared entrees like, Brown Sugar Roasted Pork Loin and Grilled Salmon with Black Bean Orange Sauce, as well as Panini sandwiches, soups and salads in less than 10 minutes for around $10. All food is made in house and made from scratch each day with ingredients delivered on a daily basis.

Food at Fresh To Order is cooked fresh to order... as the name would imply. A variety of meats are cooked on their big open flame grill.

The Almond Crusted Seared Tuna is served with Asian slaw and a Dijon vinaigrette.I've had quite a few versions of seared tuna before, but never with such a delicious and flavorful crust.

I thought the Crispy Calamari was very good. Its on par with what you would get at some finer restaurants and pay over $20 for. The dish comes with fried lemon slices, wheat berry rice and an oriental apricot dressing.

We were treated to the Spinach Salad that combines seasonal fruit, Spinach, strawberries, blue cheese crumbles, dried cherries, and almonds.

Salads are available by themselves, or you can add a protein to them. Our salad was topped with the addition of Bourbon Filet Steak and a raspberry vinaigrette.The flavors and textures of this salad worked perfectly...and made this a salad to remember.

The Almond Chicken Skewers are a big part of Fresh To Order's success. The Chicken is coated in a house made almond rosemary Crust and fried up perfectly.One bite is all you need, and you will be hooked.

For something a little different with a southern flair, we tried The Garlic Jack Grit Cakes.They are served as a side addition, but the portion size would make them great for sharing as an appetizer.

The Sweet Mashed Potatoes as well as the Garlic Mashed Potatoes were about as close to an authentic home made taste as I've had at any restaurant.The garlic mashed potatoes were chunky and full of flavor, and the sweet mashed potatoes gave me flashbacks of eating a fine diner at my grandmothers house.

If you have a sweet tooth like me, you will enjoy all of the delicious deserts available at Fresh To Order.We sampled just about everything from brownies to cookies to cupcakes that were made fresh from scratch.

I can honestly tell you that I did not know what to expect upon my arrival, but I left pretty amazed. All of the food I tasted was delicious, and when you consider the portion size and price point, I was impressed even more.Fresh To Order’s chef-inspired food reflects bold flavors and high-end, tantalizing tastes at user friendly prices. I really enjoyed every aspect of the Fresh To Order Concept and think you will too. Stop by and tell Giriam Hello!